A Man Called Rory
by Sherley Holmes
Summary: In a dark, empty part of the universe, there is a planet. On that planet is a town, a tiny place called Perdita. It is there that a young man is found, bruised and alone. A man who remembers nothing but his first name... Rory.
1. One: Lost in Space

**This is for entertainment purposes only, and I have no rights to _Doctor Who_ or its characters (though I would point out that the writing, as well as all side characters, is mine). Please don't sue me/kill me/erase me from time, Mr. Moffat!**

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><p>"<em>Rory!"<em>

The scream jolted him awake before he realized that it was just a dream. No, a memory that quickly faded, leaving him alone in the dark with only a pounding headache and one name to keep him company. _Rory._

_That's me right? I'm Rory,_ he thought. _But who is that?_

The scream, a woman calling his name, was all he could remember. Just "Rory!" and then the dark and the headache. He couldn't see anything, but when he moved, he was lying on something soft. _Oh, God, where am I? Who am I?_ Such a strange and terrifying feeling, to have absolutely no idea who he was. When he looked into his memories there was nothing, only darkness and pain.

A light flared up nearby, and he quickly covered his eyes, moaning. "Blimey!" he complained.

"Sorry," someone said. "Didn't mean to blind you."

The light dimmed, and Rory lowered his hands, letting his eyes slowly adjust to the dimness. "Who's there?" he asked.

"Name's Jason," the man said. He was still just a blur to Rory as he walked closer and hung the light from a hook stuck into the ceiling. "You had a bad knock to the head, so take it easy."

Rory pushed himself up halfway and then fell back, wincing. He decided to follow Jason's advice. "Where am I?"

"Slow down," Jason said, his tone taking a more official turn now. "Now you're not the only one with questions need answering. Who are you?"

Rory tried again to call up his memories, but there was only his name, followed by a wall of pain that made him groan and grab for his head. "Rory," he finally gasped.

"What's that?"

"I'm called Rory. That's all I remember." He slumped back on the bed. "God, I don't remember who I am!"

"All right, just calm down," Jason cautioned. "Rory, was it? You just rest and heal; we can talk more when you're head's on straight." He pushed a tin cup into his patient's hands. "This will help you sleep."

Rory drank the liquid, practically choking when it hit his tongue. "That's awful," he complained.

"Sure is," Jason said, taking the cup back. "Now, go to sleep.

Rory closed his eyes and did as he was told, letting sleep drown his fear. In the darkness behind his eyes, he didn't dream; there was nothing to dream of in his empty mind.


	2. Two: Rory Williams

**This one is a bit rough (and the real action still hasn't started), but bear with me because it's important to the story. Third chapter is almost finished!**

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><p>It wasn't long before Rory was able to stand without losing the contents of his stomach or passing out. Jason stopped making him sleep and, at long last, told him where he was.<p>

"You're in Perdita," the doctor explained. "Tiny place right off Castrovalva." At Rory's blank stare, he sighed. "Castrovalva is a city of warriors; they raze and conquer everything and everyone. We've been lucky, but…" He shook his head. "That's why you're making everyone so nervous."

"Me?" Rory said, surprised. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, but you're a stranger. I'm the only one who trusts you." He studied his patient closely. "And I don't even know why I do."

"Because you know I'm not lying," Rory offered. "Right?"

Jason shrugged. "Something like that," he said. "But anyway, I'm just a doctor; in a small town, I'm a trusted figure, but I'm no leader. The governor wants to meet you." He handed Rory his tennis shoes.

"He can't come here?" He was whining slightly, but hey, he had lost his memory.

Jason looked surprised by the suggestion. "He's the governor," he said. "Important leaders don't go to sickrooms."

"But I'm the only one here, and I'm not even sick," Rory argued as he pulled on his shoes.

"It's just custom. Come on."

He followed the man to the door but paused when he caught sight of movement from the corner of his eye. There was a mirror on the wall, and he stared at himself, at a face that was familiar but so, so strange, set below brown hair and above a plaid shirt and jeans. He touched his collar, seeming to recall something about a bow tie…

"Let's not keep the governor waiting," Jason chided, but he seemed to understand.

Rory followed the man from the building and out onto the street. It was the first time he had been in the sun in… well, for as long as he could remember, technically. He was surprised by how extremely bright and hot it was, which seemed odd to him. He hadn't forgotten how to breathe or tie his shoes, so how did he forget the sun?

"Is the light still bothering your head?" Jason asked, studying him.

Rory frowned, realizing that he'd been wincing. "A bit," he said. "I'm still adjusting, I guess. Where is everyone?"

The street they stood on was deserted, and he couldn't hear anyone nearby.

"Mostly out in the water," Jason explained. "It's too hot for anything else. We'll be passing near the lake on our way, so we may see some of the townsfolk. Here." He stepped back into the sickroom and reappeared a moment later with a brown hat. "Keep some of the sun off."

Rory put on the hat and admitted that it did help some. "Thanks," he said.

"You're my patient," Jason replied. "Let's go." He led Rory down the street and through the tiny town. They did actually see a few people, but everyone lowered his head and disappeared at the sight of the stranger.

After only a few minutes of walking, their awkward silence was broken by screams up ahead of them and to the right. Neither man hesitated but ran straight toward the sound; it took Rory a second to question why he would do such a thing. _Shouldn't you run _away_ from people screaming?_

But they reached the lake then and skidded to a stop. A tall, well-muscled man was carrying a woman from the water, a look of panic and terror on his face.

"Doctor!" someone called. "Doctor, help!"

Jason ran forward, and Rory followed; they reached the lakeside just as the man laid the woman down on the sand.

"She went under," he explained, his words falling in a rush. "I don't know how long. A few minutes, maybe. Doctor, you have to help her!"

Jason knelt beside the woman and began checking her in a practiced, automatic way. "It's too late," he said. "She's drowned."

Rory stared at the woman by his feet. _She's dead,_ he thought, horrified. It was the first death he had ever seen, at least that he could remember. And then… _No._ He was remembering.

Dropping to his knees, Rory felt that everyone else by the lake had disappeared. There was only him and this woman. This woman who could _not_ be dead. Without thinking, he put his mouth over hers and breathed into her, then began pressing on her chest with both hands. He was vaguely aware of someone yelling above him, but he didn't listen. _I can save her._ He may have said it or just thought it; he wasn't sure.

Rory repeated the process three times before the woman reacted, choking and coughing up water. She took a deep breath and tried to sit up, but he pushed her back gently.

"Be still," he said. "Just lay still and breathe for a minute."

She stared at him, wide-eyed.

Slowly, Rory looked up. Every pair of eyes was on him. Almost everyone in the town of Perdita had just watched him breathe life into a dead woman. _Brilliant,_ he thought, half in terror and half in anger. And then, _I'm a nurse!_

"How did you do that?" Jason asked, kneeling to look at the woman.

Rory grinned and then laughed. "I'm a nurse!" he said, still shocked. Memories came flooding back. Not all of them, he knew; most of his life was still blank. But there he was, working in the hospital. _Williams. My name is Rory Williams._

"She's just fine," Jason said, evident disbelief in her voice. "He saved her!"

The man who had carried her from the water laughed in relief. "Thank you!" he exclaimed, pulling Rory to his feet and pumping his arm excitedly. "Thank you so much!"

The woman stood and pulled him away. "Excuse my brother," she said. "I'm June, and this is Daniel. Thank you for saving me." She hesitated. "Were you… kissing me?"

Rory felt his face heat up. "No, no," he said quickly. "It's - it - it wasn't a kiss. It's called, er, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation… It wasn't a - a kiss…" He stuttered to a stop and tried not to feel all the eyes on him.

"Come on," Jason said, taking him by the elbow. "We're supposed to meet the governor."

"Oh, don't worry about that." They turned to see a tall, blond-haired man walking toward them. "You're a hero," he said. "Mr. ah…?"

"Williams," Rory supplied. "Rory Williams."

"You remembered?" Jason asked.

"Some things. Not everything."

"You remembered how to give life, it seems," the man said. "My name is Caleb; I'm the governor of this town."

"Oh," Rory said, surprised. "Sir. Um…"

"It's all right," Caleb said. "I trust Jason's judgment, and after what you just did… Well, I couldn't condemn a man for saving my niece's life, could I?"

Rory nodded, still reeling and trying to keep all the new names straight in his head. "So… can I stay?" he asked. "Just until I get my memory back, of course. I've got a proper family somewhere, I think. I - I hope."

"Of course you can stay," June said, interrupting. "You saved my life!" She looked at Caleb. "Uncle, tell him he can stay."

Caleb grinned. "Of course he can," he said. "You can teach Dr. Jason your techniques. It might help you get your memory back."

"Um, I - I can do that," Rory said.

"Good. June, Daniel, would you show Mr. Williams to a place where he can stay?"

"Of course!" Daniel said eagerly. "You can stay with us!"

Rory shook his head. "No, I couldn't¾"

"It's the least we could do," June said. She smiled. "Really. Say you'll come stay at our house?"

The twist of her lips made his heart pound. _Oh, stop it._ "Sure," he found himself saying.

"Great!" June said with a wide grin that nearly drove him mad.


	3. Three: The Boy Who Waited

**Okay, here it is! Please bear with me through this awkward bit of... Well, you'll see. Don't give up hope!**

**The real action starts in chapter 4, which is partway finished now and will probably be up next week.**

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><p>June was beautiful. She was nervous around Rory, probably in part because he had saved her life, but he suspected that she was always nervous with men. She was calm, a bit dreamy, and adored her brother.<p>

Rory was starting to fall for her, and he could tell that she fancied him, but… he couldn't seem to relax. Something was wrong.

Three days after he began sleeping in their attic - he had insisted; there were five people in this family, and he wasn't taking any of their rooms - Rory Williams had his first dream.

In his sleeping mind, he was again saving June from death, breathing life - no, air - into her lungs. His mouth over hers, his hands on her chest, saving her life. And then he wasn't just saving her life. Then, she was awake, and he was touching her tenderly, no longer in a panic to rescue her.

The scene was interrupted by a voice. _"Hey, get your stupid face over here and _find_ me!"_ He looked up at the woman as a wave of guilt crashed over him. As soon as he saw her, he knew. _She_ was the one he loved. _What the bloody hell am I doing?_

Rory woke with a start, breathing heavily on the mattress they had found for him. Sunlight streamed through the window, golden in the early morning, and upset the quiet darkness of the small, dusty room.

It took him a moment to realize that he was shaking all over, his hair flat against his head from sweat. Guilt, that black void, filled his gut, but he clung desperately to the already-fading dream. It hurt to remember, still made his head pound, but he had to know who he had been dreaming about.

A flash of red hair. A general feeling of utter devotion, tinged slightly with fear. Love.

But that was all Rory could remember. Everything else was lost in the darkness, and his head throbbed when he tried to dig deeper into it.

_It'll come to me soon enough,_ he thought, lying even to himself about how much it hurt not to know.

Eventually, Rory left his bed and dressed in his jeans and buttoned shirt. He descended the ladder to the house barefoot, stepping quietly so as not to disturb his hosts. He couldn't be sure on the time, but from a glance out the window, he knew it wasn't much past dawn, and he didn't particularly want to wake the people who had so generously let him, a stranger, sleep in their house.

Rory wandered down the stairs and into the kitchen, not entirely sure what he was doing; he just needed to move, take his mind off his nonexistence memories somehow. Whatever he had expected to find, he was surprised to see June brewing something on the wood-burning stove.

"Oh," Rory said, automatically looking away from her. "Sorry, I didn't think you were awake. Um…"

"Would you like tea?" June asked. She wasn't looking at him either, and when he glanced up, her cheeks were slightly pink.

"Um, sure," he said, then added quickly, "if it's no trouble. I mean, I - I wouldn't want you to¾"

"I'm already making some," she said quickly. "I always drink tea and read while Daniel sleeps in." She glanced at the table. "You can sit if you like."

Rory sat in a kitchen chair and tried not to look nervous. The next few minutes were awkwardly silent as she finished making the tea and brought it to the table. They were quite for a moment more before she spoke.

"You were in my dream last night," June said. She sipped her tea, looking she wanted to retract her words the second they left her mouth.

"Oh. Yeah?" Rory said.

"Yeah." She cleared her throat. "I mean, I almost died; I'm bound to dream about it, right?"

"Of course, yeah," he answered quickly. "Be surprised if you didn't dream about… it."

They were quiet again, self-consciously sipping tea, until he broke the silence.

"I remembered something," Rory told her. "Just - just a little thing…"

"Oh, what is it?" June asked. Then, she hesitated. "If you want to share, that is."

"Yeah, um… I remembered a woman." He couldn't look at her as he said it. "I can't see her or even remember her voice, but… I love her. I know I do. She's brilliant… I - I think. I can't remember very much."

"Well… still, it's good," June said. "You have someone… somewhere."

"Yeah." Rory finished off his tea and sat the cup down. "So, uh, can you tell me where I am? Jason said a town called, er…"

"Perdita, outside of Castrovalva."

"And where's that? America? You sound American."

June frowned, confused. "America?" she repeated, the word coming slowly from her mouth as if she had never said it before. "What's that?"

Rory couldn't answer; he was doubting the few memories he had left now.

Their confused and terribly difficult conversation was interrupted when Daniel walked in. The big man was grinning as he grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured himself some tea.

"Good morning, Mr. Williams," he said. "Good morning, sister."

"'Morning," Rory said. "You can call me Rory, you know."

Daniel smiled and sat down. "Okay," he said.

June was slumped down in her chair, holding her teacup in both hands and looking across the room as if studying the most interesting thing in the universe. Her brother didn't seem to notice.

Rory stood abruptly, knocking his knee against the table in his haste. "Think I'll go visit Jason," he said, then hesitated. "Uh, if that's all right."

"You're our guest, not our prisoner!" Daniel answered with a laugh. "Go, do what you want!"

"Thanks." He glanced quickly at June and then left the room, practically tripping over his feet in his haste.

Rory put on his shoes in a rush and then ran out of the house. Vaguely, he wondered if he could even find the way to the doctor's sickroom. But then, finding it didn't seem as important as getting far away from June.

_I had to tell her,_ he thought as he walked. _It would be unfair of me not to, really._ There was a woman out there, someone he loved. She had red hair. _How can I only know one thing about and love her so much?_

The town was just big enough that Rory had to ask directions once before finding his way to the doctor's little office. He knocked lightly and then walked in, unsure on the protocol for the Perdita sickroom.

Jason was sitting at the desk in the first part of the room, busy with several bottles of medicine. "Rory," he said, smiling. "Or is it Dr. Williams?"

"I'm not a doctor," Rory said. "Just a nurse.

"Yes, that's right; you said that."

Rory wasn't sure how to say what he was thinking. He tried to be tactful… "I'm in love." And failed. "With a redhead. I can't remember her name."

"Well… that's good," Jason said, then quickly recanted. "Not that you can't remember, of course."

"I got it," Rory said. He leaned forward on the desk, panicking slightly. "But you see, this woman, June. She, um… I - I think she's a bit… Blimey, she's going to be cross with me."

"Who, June?"

"No, the redhead. I've been here a week, and I've already managed to make a girl fall in love with me!"

"The redhead?"

"June!" Rory sighed. "I think she's in love with me."

Jason smiled. "You saved her life," he said. "Don't you think she might just be a little infatuated? Hero worship?"

He sighed again and ran a hand over his face. "I don't know," he said. "What do I know at all? CPR, how to wrap a broken bone; that's nothing. Girl falls in love with me; I'm just… helpless!"

"Calm down," the doctor told him. "Take a breath. Did you tell June about this girl?"

Rory nodded.

"Then there shouldn't be a problem. Until you get your memory back, make sure she remembers that you may be spoken for." Jason looked at him. "Right?"

Rory nodded again. "Get my memory sorted before I get a new girlfriend," he paraphrased. "Right."

"Good. Now, maybe you can started teaching me some of that¾"

He was interrupted by a scream outside, and then the door flew open and a white-faced, wide-eyed teenaged boy stumbled in.

"Castrovalva!" he cried. "Castrovalva's warriors are here!"

Jason reacted quickly, pulling the boy inside. "Stay here," he said, and the command in his voice left no room for argument. "Rory, stay with him." He opened the door, letting in more screams.

Rory followed him. "What's going on?" he asked. "What is it? Jason!"

Jason turned back to him, speaking quickly. "I told you about Castrovalva, the conquerors," he said. "They want to take us over, and now they've sent their armies here. Now, I have to go; stay here!" He left the sickroom, slamming the door behind him.


End file.
